How long is the lease term?
Our leases generally run one calendar year with the option to
“renew” your lease at the end of the term. Minor exceptions may be
made, but we do not offer short term leases or month to month
leases.

How is a co-signer used?
Co-signers do not "cure" bad credit. However, they can be used to
help a "marginally qualified" (weak capacity, weak employment
history, weak or no credit history, etc.) prospective tenant. The
ideal cosigner is financially strong and is a parent, relative or
guardian of the prospective tenant. The co-signer will have to fill
out a co-signer application and be approved. If the resident fails
to meet their obligations, it will be up to the co-signer to take
responsibility. Co-signers must sign the lease and therefore are
legally obligated to all of its terms and conditions.

What is your pet policy?
All pets must be approved by Royse & Brinkmeyer in writing
prior to being on the property. Our pet fee is $300, of which $100
is non-refundable. We allow up to two cats and no dogs at all of
our properties. To learn more about our pet policy, you can
download our "Pet Addendum", located under "Download Forms".

What is your Satellite Dish policy?
Royse & Brinkmeyer Apartments believes, for a variety of
reasons, that the installation (and subsequent removal) of
satellite dishes on our properties is not an activity we wish to
promote. Nevertheless, you do have the right, under certain
specific conditions enumerated below, to receive satellite
programming services through satellite equipment installed within
your leased premises. Royse & Brinkmeyer has formulated our
current Satellite Dish Policy in accordance with FCC Order 98-273.
Here is what you need to know before you decide to become a
satellite dish owner: 1. You must have our permission, in writing,
to install your dish. We do charge an additional security deposit
of $150.00 to cover any physical damage caused by installation. The
deposit must be paid prior to installation. 2. You are responsible
for any damage that results from installation or use of any part of
the satellite system including damage to the door thresholds, trim,
weather seals, baseboards, etc. 3. You may install a dish (no
greater than one meter in size) on your own personal balcony,
balcony railing, or patio only so long as the dish and all mounting
hardware and related assembly is totally within your leased
premises. No part of your dish may extend beyond the balcony
railing line or patio line. 4. You may not install a dish on any
outside wall, outside windowsill, roof, common area balcony, common
area stairwell, or any other common area. 5. You may not drill any
holes of any type, in any manner, in any location, for any reason.
6. Your satellite system must be a stand-alone system; you may not
splice into any existing wires or cables. 7. If you install a dish
without our permission, or install a dish in any manner not in
accordance with the terms of this policy, you will be in violation
of your lease terms. Royse & Brinkmeyer may seek to remedy the
breach of lease through removal of the non-compliant dish or by any
and all other lawful means available including eviction.

What do I do if someone is in my assigned parking space?
At some of our communities, we have assigned spaces to guarantee
that our tenants have a place to park. If you find someone else in
you assigned space, you may have him or her towed at their expense.
You will need to call Reynolds Towing at 337-0913. Please be
prepared to give them the make, model, color and license plate of
the car you would like towed. You will also need to provide them
with a copy of your lease, showing that it is your assigned parking
space.

Can I do my own maintenance?
No, doing your own maintenance work is prohibited by your lease.
There are many reasons for this policy, however perhaps the most
compelling thing for you to know is that you may be charged for the
cost of restoring/repairing any items that you have attempted to
fix that we would have been happy to come in and fix for free! You
are also not allowed to make any changes to the electrical service,
cable service, satellite service, or telephone service without our
prior written consent. Making any changes to any of these services
can also lead to significant charges. We employ many trained
maintenance and service staff who are eager to be sure that things
in your apartment are working the way they are supposed to - and we
want you to call us if they are not. Do not attempt to repair
anything yourself. If you have any questions or maintenance issues,
please call our maintenance office at 378-2729.

Why do I need to pay a late fee?
Late fees are charged to offset the increased cost of doing
business with you (cost of short-term borrowing and of collection
efforts) if you do not pay your rent on time. We expect that you
will pay on time and that you will never need to pay a late
fee.

What is a Five Day Notice fee?
We issue a Five Day Notice when a resident's rent remains unpaid
after the fifth of the month and we have had no success in
contacting them for acceptable payment arrangements. We also issue
a Five Day Notice when a payment agreement has been breached. This
notice is the final step we take before turning your account over
to our attorney for eviction. Obviously this is an expensive and
undesirable event that you should seek diligently to avoid.

What do I do if I have a noisy or inconsiderate
neighbor?
In community living it is inevitable that at sometime you will hear
your neighbors. However, if you experience a situation that is out
of the ordinary or is repetitive in nature, we want to know about
it. Experience has shown us that "neighbors talking to neighbors"
is the best way to resolve these types of problems. We encourage
you to talk to your neighbors first. If you still have a problem,
we want to be involved so that we may help resolve the issue for
all parties.

Do you have any apartments available?
We might... please check out our awesome web site for details!
www.roysebrinkmeyer.com

As a resident, what should I know about Fire Prevention?
The possibility of a Fire is something we take very seriously. So
should you. Please read this message and follow the recommendations
and guidelines we’re sharing with you. Your safety, and that of
your neighbors, is at stake. Yes, a fire can happen, and it can
happen to you! There are things you can do to reduce your risk of
having a fire. Here are the most common sources of fires:

· Kitchen fires
Pay attention to what’s cooking and be sure to turn the burners off
when you’re done. Keep your stove, oven and kitchen neat &
clean. Think it can’t happen? Ask one of our tenants at Prospect
Pointe what they did for excitement over the Holidays.

· Barbeque Fires
Think the only “danger” is from a fire flare-up? Guess again. It’s
easy to melt vinyl siding and ignite wooden siding by having your
grill too close to the wall. Sparks or embers falling on any
combustible surface, such as a wooden deck present a serious fire
hazard and for that reason the use of any "charcoal cooking device"
(grills and smokers)on wooden decks, patios or porches is
prohibited.

· Candle Fires
Candles are great for romance or for when the lights go out, but
you have to be careful! I can tell you from first hand experience
about how easy it is to light a dining room table on fire by using
a candle set in a plastic holder (no, I didn’t realize it was a
plastic holder…..should have, but didn’t)! Last fall, a tenant had
a fire in the bathroom caused by a candle igniting the shower
curtain.

· Debris Fires
Debris fires happen as a result of “stuff” being kept where it
shouldn’t be – You’ve heard this before, but please stop and think
about it. Don’t place anything combustible, like newspapers,
magazines, or paper grocery bags close to a heat source – your
furnace and hot water heater are the two biggest dangers. If you
have a “utility room” in your apartment it is there to provide a
place for that equipment. It is not a “storage closet” and you
should resist the temptation to make it one. Sure, space is at a
premium, but don’t solve your space issues by compromising your
safety. Does this ever happen? Ask the residents of our “W”
building at Stonegate.

· Space Heater Fires
These fires are a very real threat – not only do people sometimes
allow things to get too close to the heat, space heaters can also
overload the electrical circuits. Use them with caution and turn
them off when you go to bed. Prevention is important, and so is
protection. Is there any reason why you wouldn’t want to protect
yourself as well as you can against the possibility of a fire?

Here is what you can do:

· Smoke Detectors
You have a smoke detector installed in your apartment and we
confirmed that it was working at the time your lease began. You
should test your alarm monthly to be sure it will work when you
need it to. Contact us immediately if you do not know how to test
your alarm or it is not working. The smoke alarm is designed to
alert under “smoky” conditions and this means it will also go off
as a result of conditions that are “like smoke” such as steam from
cooking or hot showers, or the heavy smoke from a party. This is
normal and does not mean that the alarm is malfunctioning. When
that happens you should open a window or door to “air out” your
apartment. Under no circumstances should you compromise your
safety, and the safety of others, by disabling the alarm unit.

· Fire Doors
Many of our buildings have interior “fire doors” which are designed
to limit the spread of any fire and to contain smoke damage to the
general area of the fire. They work really well and they are
extremely simple to operate…..all you have to do is be sure they
are in the closed position. At all times. Sure, it’s not as
convenient when carrying your groceries, but the issue is safety,
not convenience. Choose safety.

· Fire Extinguishers
These are a great idea. If you’re truly going to “be prepared”
you’ll want one. Small, general purpose extinguishers suitable for
apartment use are readily available at home improvement stores for
about ten dollars. We recommend the investment.

· Renters Insurance
We strongly encourage all our residents to protect themselves and
their belongings by purchasing Renters Insurance. It is widely
available, provides protection for your possessions as well as
other perils, and costs about $10.00 per month. Contact an agent of
your choice, or call “Nancy” or “Pat” at the Facer Insurance Agency
– 217-892-2147. Good People. Good Idea.

It may seem obvious, but we’ll say it anyway:
If you smell smoke, or for any other reason believe there may be a
fire threat, CALL 911. The Fire Department will be quick to
respond. We trust that this discussion of Fire Safety has not
caused you undue alarm and that you will take the proper
precautions to preclude the likelihood of a fire occurring.
Hopefully, the only time you will come in contact with a fire
(other than in your fireplace) is when you are roasting
marshmallows over the campfire!